As the two were dragged off for punishment she noticed that Edmund was closely following them with his glance, never once taking his eyes off them. His fists were bunched at his sides. When she looked at his face his expression was as hard as stone.

**

Hildegard laid a pile of the local currency she had obtained from the money changer on the table between them.

‘So,’ she invited, filling his beaker of wine and pushing it towards him, ‘I’d like to ask you a few questions.’

‘You would, would you.’

‘Indeed I would. It’s about the murder of the young man in the treasury.’

‘What’s that got to do with me?’

‘I was told there were two guards on duty at the treasury. Now I hear there was three.’

The guard folded his arms across his chest.

‘Is that so?’ she prompted.

‘What if it is?’

‘Will you tell me about it?’

‘You’re a strange one to be asking questions. What’s it to do with you?’

‘I’m English.’

He seemed satisfied with that and nodded. Then his eyes narrowed. ‘Who’s putting you up to this?’

‘Nobody.’

‘Is it the magister?’

‘Who? Brother Athanasius?’

‘That’s ‘im.’

‘I understand the dead boy was English. I have an interest for that reason.’

‘Fair enough.’

‘Well then?’

‘Well what?’

Curbing her irritation she asked, ‘So who was it found him?’

‘I did.’

‘The other guards said they found him.’

‘Only when they were given the alarm. By me.’

‘Where did you find him?’

‘Lying dead as you saw him when you came down with the magister and the cardinal.’

‘Was that you with the light?’

‘It was.’

‘Had anything been moved from the time when you found him and we came down?’

‘Not as far as I know.’

‘Was he dead when you found him in there?’

The guard gripped the edge of the table. ‘Now look here what are you suggesting? I told you - ’

‘I only ask for form’s sake. That wound didn’t look like one you professional fellows would inflict. It was more like the work of some back alley cut-throat. In fact, I doubt whether you would have inflicted any wound except what might naturally happen as you took him into custody.’

‘That’s right. I’m glad you see the situation with common sense.’

‘I do my best,’ she replied and before he could butt in again she asked, ‘So now, captain, can you remember what time you found the body?’

‘It was between matins and lauds. Nearer lauds.’

‘Is that as close as you can estimate?’

‘Lauds then. At the start of lauds.’

‘And where was his Holiness. Was he present?’

‘Not him. Of course not.’

‘Where was he?’

‘Where do you expect? In his chapel saying his prayers.’

‘Alone?’

‘With his priest and one or two others.’

‘How long was he there?’

‘He’s in for matins then stays there until after lauds.’

‘That’s a long time.’

‘It is.’

‘So the chamber was clear for anybody to enter for several hours?’

‘They’d have to get past us guards and the servants of the bedchamber first.’

She thought, which they did. Instead she said, ‘How on earth could anyone manage that?’ She widened her eyes to encourage him.

‘Look, I came on duty just before matins. I reckon the young devil was already down there, having lifted the trap door ready to do his filching.’

‘That trap door as you call it. It’s one great slab of stone. Could one man lift it by himself?’ He had done so earlier but he was a big brute of a man. Maurice by contrast was slight.

‘I guess he could if he was determined to do it.’

‘But he had to get into the pope’s privy chamber first - ?’

‘With his holiness out of the way all he had to do was get past the guards on duty.’

‘How on earth could he do that?’

‘We know how. He swopped places with the page of the bedchamber.’

‘How?’

‘Disguised himself.’

‘Is that a guess?’

‘We know it.’

‘How come?’

‘He came blabbing, didn’t he? Terrified out of his wits when he found what had happened.’

‘And who is he?’

‘A lad called Gaston.’

‘Paid to do it?’

‘I expect so.’

‘Didn’t you ask?’

‘Not my business. Look, I do my job - ’

‘Not in this case you didn’t, assuming your job is to guard the pope’s gold.’

‘I don’t like the way you say that.’

‘I mean nothing by it. It’s a fact somebody made a mistake by letting both a thief and a murderer inside the treasury.’

‘Well, it wasn’t me.’

‘I believe you.’

‘Why are you asking me all this?’

‘I told you why.’

‘You’d be better off asking Gaston. If you could.’

‘What do you mean if I could?’

‘He’s been sent back home to his village in disgrace. Back to cow herding which is all he’s good for.’

‘Where is his village?’

‘In the hills somewhere. Two houses and a pig sty.’

Hildegard filed this information away until later. ‘I don’t really understand how the murdered acolyte, the thief, if you will, could get inside without anyone stopping him. Surely somebody would notice it wasn’t Gaston?’

‘It isn’t like that. He goes up by himself to turn back the bed clothes after his Holiness has got out of bed to go to matins. Nobody would pay him heed. Why should they? They all look alike. A cap and cloak is all it would take.’

‘Did you see him?’

The guard was silent.

‘What did you see?’ she persisted with a pointed glance at the pile of coins on the table.

Reluctantly he admitted that he’d caught sight of somebody going up while he was sitting on the landing where the stairs separated, one up to the library and the other to the pope’s private chamber and the treasury. It was where they prepared to go on duty. He had assumed it was the usual page.

‘When me and Raymond, that’s the fella I was on duty with - when we changed places with the next roster,’ he looked uncomfortable, ‘well, to be absolutely honest, we came down early to have a bit of a game - ’

‘Of dice?’

He nodded. ‘We often did, once his holiness was out of the way. We all did it.’

‘Thereby leaving the treasury unguarded?’

‘We were sitting there!’

‘How long?’

‘Not for long.’

‘Long enough to have a game or two?’

‘That’s so.’

‘What happened next?’

‘We came down as I said.’

‘When? After the service for matins had started?’

‘That’s about it. Then eventually they took over and I went back with them. Raymond went off duty, back to his woman. I’d left my cap up there. And straightaway I saw the trap door in the floor was open. He must have got inside when his holiness went in the night office and after we guards came down. There’s no other explanation. After that it’d be simple. He opened the trap door, climbed down inside and - ’

‘And was knifed.’

‘That’s about it.’

He calls that simple, she registered with disbelief.

‘Look, I can’t account for it. He must’ve gone up with somebody. An accomplice. I don’t know! That’s enough!’

She looked at the coins and began to reach for them. ‘When did you go up?’

He shifted. Mumbled a bit. Hildegard leaned forward, ‘When did you say?’

‘During lauds,’ he admitted.

‘Not the start as you’ve just said?’

He mumbled again. ‘Just before the end, in fact.’

‘You call that not long?’

‘It’s the middle of the night. The night shift. None of us like it.’

‘What does Clement do between matins and lauds?’

‘He stays up there as I’ve already told you, listening to the singing.’

‘I thought the murdered acolyte was a chorister?’

‘They don’t have the full choir at that time. Maybe his Holiness talks among his friends? How would I know what they do? You imagine I’m allowed in there?’

‘All right. I was only asking. So, given that Gaston changed places with Maurice, how do you think the murderer got inside? You seem to have forgotten him. Who did he swop places with?’